It requires both cleverness, strength, and precision when transporting a "donut" weighing over 500 tons for 510 nautical miles along the Norwegian coast. The biggest challenge is transferring it from the construction dock onto the barge.
Sondre Thorsen is the Operations Director at Bluegreen and is responsible for the launching and shipping of the Marine Donut.
"The barge from BOA is 140 meters long and 36 meters wide. However, it is too narrow for the Donut, which has a radius of 55 meters. Therefore, we have welded 'stiffeners' on the sides, yet the structure will still extend approximately 10 meters beyond them on each side," says Sondre, pointing to the enormous barge anchored with thick ropes.
BOA is a Trondheim-based company that has been involved in the launching of ships and offshore installations since the 1970s. We assume this is their first "donut" project...
There is a flurry of busy activity at the construction site. Several cranes and lifts are in operation, and in front of the Marine Donut, there is now a large number of "trolleys." They are from the Dutch company Mammoet, specializing in "any heavy lifting or transportation challenge" worldwide, as they state on their website. A plastic construction weighing over 500 tons is no challenge for these guys!
"Now the exercise is to lower the barge so that it is level with the quayside," explains Sondre. "Then, the Donut will be jacked up so that Mammoet can drive the 'trolleys' that will pull the Donut onto the barges below. It will take about a day to jack it up and 10 hours to drive it out."
"After that, we will complete the Donut 110% while it is on the barge. That will likely take a couple of days. Then, it will be secured with 100 tie-down points before setting off to Sekken outside Molde."
There are 510 nautical miles between Bamble and Molde, a route that passes through several weather-exposed areas, including the notorious Stadt. However, Sondre is not worried about the precious cargo.
"We are fortunate with the season and have set low wave heights as a criterion. It means that we will seek shelter in port if the weather turns bad," he says. "But the weather forecast looks promising!"
Fortunately, unloading the Marine Donut is considerably easier than loading it.
"When it arrives at the Romsdalsfjord, we drive the stern of the barge onto the shallows and lower the towers, so the barge rests at a depth of about 15 meters. Then, the Donut floats off. Finally, we pump it dry to make it float" Sondre explains.
"It's not impossible that residents and cabin owners along the coast will be surprised when the world's largest 'donut' suddenly sails by!"
